Living Well April Edition

Living Well

April 2020

FREE!

BEAT SOCIAL FOUR LEGGED FRIEND BRAIN TEASERS
DISTANCING BOREDOM Puzzles and games to
Meet Yardley, Age UK keep your mind active
25 ways to live well Isle of Wight’s cutest
whilst staying home volunteer!

CONTENTS

3 HELP AT THIS TIME
Find out what we can do to
support you and how you
can support us

4 SPOTLIGHT ON DAN
Find out what Digi-Dan has
been up to since he started
working at Wightfibre

WELCOME 6 25 WAYS TO LIVE WELL
WHILE SOCIAL DISTANCING

Welcome to a slightly different issue of Age UK Isle of Wight’s A range of ideas of how you
Living Well magazine! In light of current circumstances, a few can beat boredom without
leaving the house

changes have been made as most of us will be staying safely 8 THE PAW-FECT VOLUNTEER
inside our homes.
Volunteers come in all
shapes and sizes, some
Rather than a quarterly publication, a new, shorter issue of even have 4 legs!
Living Well will be published once a month over the next three

months to ensure that information included is as up to date as 10 GOOD NEWS
possible.
Some positive stories from
Age UK Isle of Wight
As government guidelines dictate that there should be no

unnecessary travel of any kind, we will not be distributing any 11 PUZZLE TIME
copies of Living Well physically. Instead, for the foreseeable Spot the difference, solve
future, it will only be available digitally (you are of course some riddles and find
welcome to print it yourselves). We hope that you understand out which Isle of Wight
that this decision was not taken lightly, one of our biggest aims attraction you would be

when we created the Living Well magazine was to ensure that

our news and updates reached those who did not have the

ability to read it online, but we feel that we cannot put our staff

and volunteers at risk by asking them to distribute physical

32copies.

We hope that this issue is still as insightful, despite having fewer
pages, and that stories such as Yardley our canine volunteer, 24
tips to live well whilst socially distancing, and the inclusion of a
few puzzles and games help bring some joy to your days!

Above all, I hope you stay safe and look after yourself.
Jo Dare – Chief Executive Officer, Age UK Isle of Wight

Age UK Isle of Wight Limited is the trading name of Age Concern Isle of Wight which is a charitable
com2pany limited by guarantee. Registered in England and Wales number 06057797 and Registered Charity
number 1118711. Registered Office: 147 High Street, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 1TY.

HELP AT THIS TIME

Times like the one we are in now are tough, they are bleak and they can make us all
feel disheartened. However, it is also times like this that show just how generous and
empathetic people are. Hundreds of people across the Island have offered their time
to support Age UK Isle of Wight meet the needs of vulnerable Islanders, and their
community spirit and selflessness is appreciated more than they realise.

Age UK Isle of Wight’s volunteers can support you with:

Shopping
Collecting and delivering vital groceries to vulnerable people,
unable to make the trip themselves.

Prescription Collection
Picking up medication from pharmacies and surgeries and
delivering them to clients

Digital/Telephone befriending and wellbeing checks
For many isolated vulnerable Islanders, your phone call could be
the only contact that they receive for days

Unfortunately, at the current moment we have paused the volunteer application process.
Age UK Isle of Wight have been overwhelmed by the number of generous people that
have offered to volunteer their time. If you would still like to volunteer to support
vulnerable Islanders, visit www.iowcoronavirus.co.uk/do-you-want-to-volunteer/

If you need support

If you are practicing social distancing or
self-isolation and need support, or you are
worried about a family member or friend
Age UK Isle of Wight are here to help.

Contact us:
Tel: 01983 525282
Email: [email protected]
Web: ageukiw.org.uk

To ensure that you are recieving Age UK
Isle of Wight updates live, follow us here:

@AgeUKIW

@AgeUKIW
ageukisleofwight

01983 525282 | www.ageukiw.org.uk

SPOTLIGHT ON: DAN

Known by many as ‘Digi Dan’, Dan Taylor was a well
known face of Age UK Isle of Wight (AUKIW) for almost
five years, through our Digital Inclusion service. Dan
has recently said a fond farewell to the charity, on
to pastures new, but in his new role he continues his
good work in the community through a local business.
Here we give a nod to Dan, a celebration of his
achievements and a ‘good luck’ from all of us at Age
UK Isle of Wight.

Can you tell us a little about your time with Age

UK Isle of Wight?

I joined the charity back in 2015, initially working

with the Good Neighbour Scheme team, arranging Nectar loyalty app, I spoke to the Head of

projects for our volunteers to get involved in. Development, voicing concerns that they might

The charity was successful in securing some not have fully considered the Island’s older
funding from the BIG Lottery, and so I took on a people in switching to a wholly online scheme.
new role; setting up a new project which would I held in-store drop-ins, and the store realised
support older Islanders with all things digital. that a purely online scheme would be excluding
I ran the project for almost five years, our aim a lot of loyal shoppers, so they reintroduced the
being to create opportunities across the Island for old scheme to run alongside the new. When
older people to access digital technology. subsequently trialling the scheme in Wales,
Sainsbury’s worked with the local Age UK to

What do you feel have been the project’s provide their customers with the same model of
greatest achievements for older Islanders? support.

Ultimately, I wanted to break down barriers So, what are you up to now?

for people who were missing out on accessing I’m working for WightFibre, heading up a couple

information and advice; so often we hear ‘go
online for more information’ or ‘fill out an online of their new community-focused projects. I
form’, but as an Island with 50% of the population visit customers who have difficulties with their
phone or broadband; sometimes the problem
being over 50, this isn’t always easy for many
is purely the equipment, but other times, it can
people.
be that the customer just needs a little support

My volunteers and I supported a range of clients; face to face, and that’s where I step in. I pop
from those who had never set foot in the digital around to the customer, and give guidance
world, to those who wanted to top up their or tuition to help the customer overcome the
knowledge. We also helped people to become less problem, and to feel confident in handling the
socially isolated, through digital technology; one problem if it were to crop up again.

of my clients was a 94 year old who had never I’m also leading their Connected Communities
touched technology before, through support Programme which will be launching soon. It
and tuition we helped her to achieve her goal aims to help Island charities and Community
of independently Skyping with her family in Interest Companies, through low cost or no cost
Australia. phone / broadband, face to face support and

Influencing Sainsbury’s was also a real tailored training for their volunteers, (helping
achievement; when I heard in 2018 that the them to become digitally skilled to better serve
Island would be piloting a new online-only the charity).

4

The Wightfibre Technology Stop

At WightFibre we want to help you get to grips with technology and learn how it all works. We now have a dedicated
support advisor to do exactly this. If you are a WightFibre customer read on to see how we can help you, free of charge.

If you have ever thought “I wish I could just call someone that will sort this out for me”, now you can! Call us on
01983 24 24 24 and ask to speak to Digi-Dan, he will be more than happy to assist you.

Troubled by Technolo y? Di i-Dan

• Help with setting up a new email address - particularly after switching
broadband supplier to us (for example from talktalk.net to a
Gmail/Outlook account)

• Help to setup and connect devices to your WiFi

• Help connecting with family and friends
through email and video calling services

• Support to help customers avoid becoming
victims of scams

• Support to assist you in making informed choices
about technology, and what will best suit your needs

Stuck with a Smart Phone?

• Support to download and understand apps such
as WhatsApp

• Help with learning how to use WiFi / mobile data

• Help with general day to day smartphone use, including texting,
making calls, taking photos and using the internet

Ba ed by Broadband?

• Advice on how broadband might benefit those who
have never had it before

• Help to educate customers on what it can enable them
to do - for example shop online, connect with family and
friends, look up information/advice on the web

• Help to understand what full-fibre is and the benefits of it

A Different Kind of Broadband • Full-fibre • Ultrafast • Future-proof 5

25 WAYS YOU CAN LIVE WELL WHEN SOCIAL DISTANC

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Or at least ,that is one approach to Social
distancing, to see it as an opportunity, a chance to spend time at home doing the things
you don’t normally get time to do and to do it without the ‘guilty’ feeling that you get when
you could be doing something else. To help you come up with some ideas of how to spend
the time, we’ve made a list of 24 things you can do to live well during social isolation:

01 04 07 11
Get reading
Look after your Get active indoors Keep your mind Read or re-read a
mental health active book or two!
Climb your stairs,
Checking the exercise from your Have you filled in 12
news? Read the chair or search for the puzzles from Declutter
good stories too work out videos or any magazines you Clear your shelves,
apps to guide you have lying around? cupboards and
Check pages 11 & wardrobes and
save any items to
12 for more! donate or sell at a
later date
08
13
Keep in contact Learn a new skill
Regularly phone
your family and Start drawing,
friends. At least get singing, pick
you don’t have to up the guitar you
worry about them keep in the loft!
not being home!
14
02 05 09 Movie time!
Spend time in the Watch your
Have a duvet day Spring clean! favourite films
The joy of Garden
Dust the skirting Sew seedlings, get 15
everyone socially boards, polish weeding or start Listen to music
isolating, there is your mirrors. All And dance like no
no fear of missing the vegetable one is watching!
the stuff you don’t patch you’ve
out! normally have always wanted! 16
time to do! Potter in the Shed
10 Maybe even build
03 06 Relax in the bath a bug hotel or bird
box to donate to
Crochet or Knit Embrace your or shower
inner artist! Break out the Age UKIW?
Maybe even knit You only need a scented candles
or crochet hats for pen and paper to and smellies you
the Age UK Isle of get drawing! got for Christmas!

Wight Big Knit?

6 Call: 525282 | Email: info@ageukiw

CING

17 22
Get Crafty
Spend time with Make origami or
your pets collages with old
magazines
Teach your budgie
to talk or your dog 23
Write a
to roll over bestseller!
Or not... maybe
18 20 21 just a journal, or a
Tend to your poem or two
indoor plants Break out a pack Try something
Do they need of cards new with your 24
watering? Pruning? hair or make up Get decorating
Repotting? For a game of Finally find out
Solitaire, or a what you’d look Hang some
19 magic tricks. It’s like with winged pictures, touch up
Get creative with dealers’ choice! eye liner or plaits some paint work

your cooking 25
Sites such as Take an online
foodcombo.com
or supercook. fieldtrip
com will give you Many museums,
recipes based on zoos or landmarks
ingredients in your offer online tours

cupboards

w.org.uk | Visit: www.ageukiw.org.uk 7

THE PAW-FECT VOLUNTEER

Meet Yardley and his owner Christine. weekly visits, The
Yardley is a very special member of where the
the Age UK IW team; most Thursday residents members often
mornings, he can be found at our Active adore him. say to me that
Minds Social Club in Ryde, enjoying lots it makes such a
of fuss from the group members!
Christine positive difference
Yardley is a PAT dog (Pets As Therapy); he
helps to enhance health and wellbeing in comments having Yardley at
the community by attending our weekly with pride: the group
Active Minds Social Club, where members “Yardley loves
can spend time with, stroke, and make a
fuss of the friendly Golden Labrador.

Yardley is a retired guide dog, who has lived
with owner Christine for just over 2 years.
With such a docile, friendly nature, Christine
felt that Yardley still had so much to offer to
others after his retirement, and signed him
up for Pets As Therapy. As well as being a
firm favourite at our AMSC in Ryde, he also
goes along to a local retirement home for

going along to

the Active Minds

group; everyone makes

a fuss of him, he is made to feel

very welcome and is much loved by the

members and the other volunteers. The

members often say to me that it makes

such a positive difference having Yardley

at the group”.

Traci is a Group Assistant at the Ryde
AMSC group, “There is a real change of
atmosphere at the group when Yardley
bowls through the door every Thursday
with his big smile. He is very at home and
will lay next to whoever takes his fancy
(although this is often the person with
the most biscuit crumbs!) He is a calming
influence to anyone feeling anxious in
the group. Some members enjoy petting

8 Call: 525282 | Email: info@ageukiw

him, and others just enjoy watching He is a
him, there is a real connection calming influence
between Yardley and the members.” to anyone feeling
anxious in the the
Yardley is such a firmly embedded group... There is a real
member of the group, he even has his connection between
own Age UK IW Volunteer ID badge,
which he wears with pride to each Yardley and the
session. members

When asked what Yardley enjoys
doing when he isn’t being made a fuss
of at the group, Christine explains,
“He’s 10 ½ now and enjoys a quieter
life these days, so eating, sleeping,
walking and sniffing….but mainly
eating!”

Our Active Minds Social Clubs normally
run every week in Ryde, Lake and
Newport*. Groups are friendly,
welcoming and informal, and are open
to anyone who would like to keep
their mind active. Contact Age
UK Isle of Wight on 01983
525282 or activity.groups@
ageukiw.org.uk to find out
more about your local
group.

*Please note that per
groups are currently
suspended as your
per government they
advice. You can
of course register
interest for when
they resume.

w.org.uk | Visit: www.ageukiw.org.uk 9

GOOD NEWS FROM AGE UK ISLE OF WIGHT

Hard at work in the Hospital

At the start of the year, a new team was put into place at St.
Mary’s Hospital. The Team included Living Well Hospital Support
Workers and Community Coordinators, with the aim of providing
support on wards and to help patients that are medically fit to
return home, and remain there.

This team has had a huge impact since they were put into place,
in the first 8 weeks of them being there they have helped 1,691
people! 42% of which were supported to go home.

A recent case also involved a visit from one of our hospital team
to a client’s home, when they noticed that the client did not have
a cooker. Another staff member spoke to someone in their family
who was clearing a house and they kindly donated a cooker;
they then spoke to Lemlec Ltd who sent an electrician round to
install it in the client’s flat. The client is now safe at home with a
working cooker, thanks to the hard work of this team! That’s just
one example of the difference they have made.

All aboard the Age Friendly Train-ing

In 2018/19 Age Friendly training was provided to 176 people
from a range of organisations including, Southern Vectis and the
Isle of Wight Council. Age Friendly training aims to show people
what it is like to live life as an older person, by giving a taste
of how it feels to experience life with visual impairments or
hearing loss for example.

Recently, training was provided to pupils at Cowes Enterprise
college as part of their Everyone Matters social action work.
Students’ preconceived ideas of what it means to be an older
person were challenged when they got to ask questions in
person to older people and found out
that some abseiled, some were
educated from air raid shelters
and some once had six packs!
By the end of sessions, one
student fed back “Age is just
a number, we don’t need
to focus on age but what is
inside”

This year training has also
been provided to two Gosport
fire and rescue watches, with
aims to deliver more within
Hampshire’s fire & rescue service.

10 Call: 525282 | Email: info@ageukiw

PUZZLE TIME

Battle the boredom that social distancing brings with some puzzles!

Spot the
difference

There are 5
differences
between these
two pictures.
Can you find
them all?

Riddle me 1. What can travel all over the world whilst not moving from one
this corner?

Can you 2. Mr & Mrs Mustard have six daughters. Each daughter has one
work out the brother, how many people are in the Mustard family?
answer to
these three 3. Samuel was out for a walk when it started to rain. He did not
riddles? have an umbrella and he wasn’t wearing a hat. His clothes
were soaked, yet not a single hair on his head got wet. How
could this happen?
More puzzles, and answers overleaf

w.org.uk | Visit: www.ageukiw.org.uk 11

PUZZLE TIME

Which Isle of Wight Where is your favourite place to walk the dog?
Attraction are you? A. Somewhere with a view
B. Somewhere with wildlife
Find out which C. Somewhere with historical significance
popular Isle of Wight
attraction you are You’re spending a day at the beach, where are you
by answering the most likely to be found whilst you’re there?
following 5 questions: A. In the sea of course!
B. Searching in rock pools
C. Building sandcastles

Which TV series are you most likely to spend an
evening watching?
A. Love Island
B. Anything with David Attenborough
C. Game of Thrones

Where is your dream holiday destination?
A. Australia
B. The Galapagos
C. Rome

Which of type of ornaments are most likely to be
found in your home?
A. Nautical Knick-Knacks
B. House Plants
C. Antiques

Mostly A answers Mostly B answers Mostly C answers

Salty Sea Dog Wild at Heart Steeped in History
You’re all about sun, Flora and fauna are a few You’ve read a book or two
sea and sand! In the of your favourite things.
summer, we bet you’ll You probably know all the and you’re the person
most likely be found on best spots for red squirrel everyone wants on their
the beach or in the sea team during the history
sightings
You Are: The Needles round of a pub quiz!
You Are: Parkhurst Forest
You Are: Carisbrooke Castle

Answers

1. A Stamp
2. Nine, the daughters share the

same brother
3. Samuel is bald